Thorns and Roses
by Smeagolia
Summary: Ron loves his daughter, but is worried about her when she seems to be taking a trip on the wild side. When she comes home with an engagement ring, Ron decided it's about time for a father-daughter talk. Written for Fire the Canon's request for "Father/Daughter moments between Ron and Rose."


**A/N: Written for Fire the Canon for winning my Challenge: Battle Ships. Enjoy ;)**

**Also written for A-Maze-Ing Race using the prompt "whiteboard"**

"Dad?" Ron looked up from his desk to see the tall and thin figure in the doorway. Her earnest brown eyes were serious under a set brow and her slender fingers played with a strand of her trademark Weasley hair, a habit she had when she was nervous. Ron sat back in his chair and forced an exhausted smile on his face.

"What is it Rosie?" He asked. Rose looked down at her shoes, sliding her hands into the pockets of her ripped skinny jeans.

"I have to tell you something." Ron groaned inwardly at her words, trying to imagine what rebellious deed 20-year-old Rose had been up to this time. A couple weeks ago she announced she'd traded all her sensible t-shirts and jeans for skimpy goth miniskirts and far-from-modest crop tops at a swap meet. Last Friday she came home bearing a tattoo of a burning rose on her arm. The next day Ron had gotten a call from the Muggle police saying his own daughter had vandalized the local preschool, being rash enough to sign her name at the bottom of her spray paint masterpiece. And just yesterday Rose had come home with a new nose piercing to show off. Ron had been fighting the urge to yell, "Who are you and what have you done with my Rosie" for a while, and he cringed at the thought of what she could have done now.

Rose took a deep breath and pulled her left hand from her pocket, laying it flat with fingers splayed in front of Ron. His eyes slid over her black nail polish and the inappropriate word written with magic marker across the back of her hand. Rose watched the corners of her father's mouth turn downwards as his eyes zeroed in on the silver band around her ring finger, blank save the engraving "R+S." Ron closed his eyes, taking slow breathes.

"Rose Nymphadora Weasley. Please don't tell me that's an engagement ring." Rose snatched her hand to her chest as if she was afraid her father might attempt to steal her ring from her.

"Dad, I love him. So I agreed when he proposed." Ron pressed the heels of his palms to his eyelids, trying to stay calm.

"Rose. You are only 20 and you have to listen to me – "

"No, _you _have to listen to _me!_" Rose cried, on the verge of tears. "Scorpius loves me and I love him and I'm not _only _20! I'm 20! I'm an adult! I'm not the child you seem to think I am and I can make my own decisions, and this is what I decided!" She broke off with a sob. "You always baby me!"

When her father spoke, his voice was gentle. Rose almost wished he'd just yell at her and get it over with. "Rosie, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I have been treating you like a child. It's just that you're changing so fast, and I miss the little girl who needed hugs when she had a nightmare and kisses when she stubbed her toe. You _are _a grownup now and I _should _trust your decisions. But I just don't want you to get hurt. Some of your choices lately haven't been top-notch and your mum and I are worried. Are you sure you're doing the right thing? I want you to feel like the grownup you are, but I also want you to be safe because I love you."

Rose's lip quivered. "I love you too Daddy." She was surprised the name had come out of her mouth; she hadn't called him that since she was 10. "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I traded away my clothes and got that tattoo and vandalized the preschool and got that piercing and stole the "today's specials" whiteboard from 3 Broomsticks – "

"Wait, what?! I never heard anything about – "

Rose held up her hand. "Anyway I'm sorry I've been such a lousy daughter, and that I haven't been necessarily doing the right thing lately. I'm sorry I'm not the little girl I was. But I'm not sorry I said yes to Scorpius. I'm not sure about a lot of things, but I am sure that I belong with Scorpius."

She paused to wipe a tear from her heavily lined eyes. "And I may be an adult now, but I still need you to give me hugs and kisses." She glanced at her father, who enveloped her in his arms and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"I want to be the first name on the guest list for the wedding." He said into her hair. Rose laughed.

"I love you Dad."

**A/N: Reviews are appreciated. **


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